Residents and plane-spotters alike took to social media to share their reactions to the huge aircraft, which belongs to the Royal Air Force.
Residents in Edinburgh and West Lothian were stunned after a huge military jet passed over their homes on Tuesday afternoon. The impressive aircraft was captured flying low as it descended towards Edinburgh Airport at around 4pm.
It has been identified by aviation enthusiasts as a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, used by the RAF and US Air Force to transport troops, supplies and large pieces of equipment. The unusual sight caught many locals by surprise.
According to data from online aircraft tracker Flightradar24, it had flown north from RAF Northolt, an air base in Greater London.
Adrian Krauklis spotted the jet as it passed over the village of Newbridge, just over two miles from the airport.
He captured the moment it flew incredibly low over the main road and the motorway before disappearing out of sight.
He told Edinburgh Live: “I was absolutely surprised. Who wouldn’t be? It was magnificent.”
Aviation aficionado Stuart Young-Murray was at home in nearby Livingston when he was also lucky enough to spot the plane while it was higher in the sky.
He often sees various aircraft approaching Edinburgh Airport’s runway from the west but was surprised at today’s sight.
Stuart clarified the jet was a C-17 belonging to the RAF. It measures 174ft in length, with a wingspan of 169.8ft.
He said: “I’m an aviation enthusiast or ‘avgeek’ as we’re sometimes called, with an interest in photography. We don’t often see military aircraft like this at Edinburgh so it was a nice surprise to see this one today.
Several other locals took to social media to report they had spotted the aircraft and share their shock at how low it was flying – and how loud it was.